2nd Ashes Test: Joe Root dismissed on last ball of Day 4 as Aussies edge closer to win

England’s hopes of salvaging a draw in the day-night Ashes Test in Adelaide were dealt a hammer blow when Joe Root was out to the final ball of day four. Root (24) nicked Mitchell Starc (1-21) behind to leave England 82-4 in their second innings after being set a massive 468 for victory, with Australia now just six wickets away from a 2-0 series lead. After being hit in the groin in the nets, England captain Joe Root did not play for the first 80 minutes on Sunday, and his distress was compounded later in the day when he was pinned in a similar area by a delivery from Starc.

England also lost Haseeb Hameed for nought, the team’s 49th duck of the year, Dawid Malan for 20 and Rory Burns for a tenacious 34. There have been no draws in the previous 16 men’s day-night Test matches, and Australia will expect to complete a positive result on the final day and extend their unblemished winning streak in pink-ball Tests to nine matches – despite being scarred by Stokes’ heroics at Headingley in 2019.

And that’s stumps!

England dealt a body blow off the last ball of the day with the wicket of Joe Root.

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EVENTFUL DAY

Day five could be a nail-biter, but day four was headline-making in its own right, with Root’s trip to the hospital for scans, Ollie Robinson bowling three overs of off-spin, Stokes taking a stunning deep catch to dismiss Travis Head, and a Covid-19 outbreak affecting the press corps. The day ended with Australia still in complete control, thanks to Starc’s dismissal of Root, Jhye Richardson (2-17) catching Hameed and Burns behind, and Michael Neser (1-7) pinning Malan lbw.

As Australia struck with just four runs on the board, Hameed edged an excellent rising delivery from Richardson in the second over, but his opening partner Burns shaped up nicely, easily posting his highest score of the series before snicking Richardson through to Steve Smith at slip.

AUSSIES DECLARE AT 230-9

Australia declared on 230-9 in their second innings, 20 minutes before tea, with the hosts having lost five wickets in the second session as they chased quick runs ahead of reintroducing England. Travis Head (51 off 54), Marnus Labuschagne (51 off 96), Alex Carey (6 off 6), Starc (19 off 20), and Richardson (8 off 4) all fell, with the latter’s dismissal prompting Australia’s second declaration of the game and leaving Cameron Green unbeaten on 33 off 43 deliveries.

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Head, caught brilliantly on the run by Stokes at deep square, and Labuschagne had put on 89 from 105 balls for the fifth wicket after Australia had lost 3-10 in an action-packed start to the day, falling from 45-1 to 55-4, with a lead of 292.

Nightwatchman Neser (3) came dangerously close to being run out by Hameed from the first ball, but he was run out soon after, inside-edging a nip-backer from James Anderson onto his stumps.

BUTTLER’S INCOSISTENCY

The topsy-turvy Test of Jos Buttler continued, with outstanding catches accounting for Marcus Harris (23) and Smith (6) – but a poor drop preventing Stuart Broad from dismissing Smith first ball for a golden duck.

Buttler’s blemish came after he shelled Labuschagne twice in Australia’s first innings – despite catching three screamers, including Harris and Smith on Sunday as he leapt to his left, following a stunner diving to his right to remove Harris on day one of the game.

Broad and Robinson took advantage of Buttler’s brilliance to dismiss Harris and Smith, respectively, with Smith caught gloving down the leg-side during Robinson’s seam bowling spell as the first 13 overs of the day yielded three wickets and 14 runs.

The next 15 overs produced 79 runs as Head and Labuschagne increased the scoring rate, with Head’s four pre-drinks causing a change in tempo and Stokes’ two costly overs featuring wides, no-balls, and boundaries.

Stokes, on the other hand, excelled in the field, catching Head superbly and Labuschagne more routinely in the deep shortly after the batters had secured their eighth and 12th Test fifties, respectively. Robinson dismissed Head after three overs of off-breaks before dinner, while Labuschagne’s exit gave part-time leg-spinner Malan his first Test wicket.